New in Beauty

Newsflash!! The skin around the eyes is 10 times thinner than the skin on your face, and it ages 36 percent faster, so if you’re not treating it with a little extra TLC, it’s time to start. Here are some of the best eye creams that target a ton of issues so that you’re left looking younger, more awake, and bright-eyed! Recently I went on a search to find the top eye creams by reviewers and here is a total beauty list to narrow down the millions of options out there to find the right one for you! These are not listed in any particular order, pay attention to reviewer rating 1-10 and your specific concerns, Happy shopping!

Best Eye Cream No. 11: Clarins Super-Restorative Total Eye Concentrate, $83 average member rating: 8.0*Why it’s great: Reviewers call this eye cream “amazing,” “very effective” and a “must-have.” One reviewer says it “absorbs quickly, isn’t greasy” and keeps her eyes looking “fresh and young.” While many reviewers acknowledge its high cost, they find that it is “ultimately worth the money.”Best Eye Cream No. 10: La Mer The Eye Concentrate, $195 average member rating: 8.4*Why it’s great: La Mer—the crème de la crème—the most expensive and, arguably, most famous product in our list. As fancy as it is (it’s even got a silver-tipped applicator!), it’s just as effective. This product is luxury at its best! Reviews say it is the only eye cream that has help dramatically diminish dark circles. Others chime in, saying it is “fantastic for under eye dark circles” and that they have noticed significant results in just four weeks. And, “most importantly, no milia,” says one reviewer.Best Eye Cream No. 9:Benefit It’s Potent! Eye Cream, $34 Average rating: 8.6*

Why it’s great: True to its name, this cream is “remarkably, wonderfully potent,” according to reviewers. This moisturizer is “made to brighten the eye area and fade dark circles … [it] means what it says and says what it means,” writes one satisfied reviewer. “This is unbelievable,” writes another. “It is really rich and creamy, and a little goes a long way.”

Best Eye Cream No. 8: Dermalogica Age Smart Multivitamin Power Firm, $58 average rating: 8.6*Why it’s great: “I swear by this product,” says one reviewer, who claims she saw a “difference in lines in the first week.” Reviewers also love the texture of this eye cream: “It goes on silky and isn’t greasy at all.” Overall, reviewers are impressed with this “great eye cream” that “helps with lines” and “getting rid of puffiness.”Best Eye Cream No. 7: Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, $47 average rating: 8.7*Why it’s great: This “thick and creamy” eye treatment is a favorite among reviewers because it “is rich and goes on smoothly.” The refreshing “cooling sensation” it delivers is another perk. “All I need is a small amount and it makes my under eye skin soft, smooth and glowy,” sums up one reader.

Best Eye Cream No. 6: Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF 15, $48 average rating: 8.9*Why it’s great: “I swear that after using this product for a week people asked me what I was doing differently,” raves one reviewer, who writes that she “can’t live without this.” Other readers express similar feelings, saying it “smoothes the delicate eye area and has a very light tint that brightens and blends well.” As one reviewer summarizes: It “helps with fine lines, puffiness and dark circles, plus SPF. What more could you ask for?Best Eye Cream No. 5: ZO Skin Health Olluminate Intense Eye Repair, $130 average rating: 8.9*Why it’s great: Readers say this “intense eye repair cream” has a “great anti-aging formula” that is “very high-quality” and “pretty amazing.” It “reduces lines,” helps with “puffiness and dark circles” and “keeps skin fresh, hydrated and supple.” One reviewer is impressed that the cream is “not too heavy” or greasy, which means she can “apply eye makeup over it in the morning without the makeup smudging.”Best Eye Cream No. 4: Mario Badescu Ceramide Eye Gel, $18 average rating: 9.3*Why it’s great: Readers love this cooling eye gel for reducing puffiness. In addition, they say it “makes the under-eye look smoother” and is “moisturizing.” A few reviewers recommend keeping it in the fridge because it “works even better to de-puff if you keep it cold.” One fan notes it takes only “five minutes for it to reduce puffiness and dark circles.”

Best Eye Cream No. 1: Borghese Fluido Protettivo Advanced Spa Lift for Eyes, $47.50 average rating: 9.9*Why it’s great: This top-rated eye cream is described as “worth its weight in gold,” a “must-have” and “exceptional and effective.” Those with sensitive skin especially appreciate the “thin, fast-absorbing” formula because it “doesn’t sting, burn or irritate” their eyes. It has a protective, triple-action anti-oxidation and moisturizing shield system to fight environmental aggressors. It resurfaces skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles with MPG. One reader says she “keeps coming back to this” product because she can feel her “skin tighten up and de-puff” immediately after applying it. Simply put: “You will not be disappointed.”

BEAUTY MUST-HAVE: A CLEAR STICKER THAT MAKES ACNE DISAPPEAR

Spot-treating blemishes has never been a discreet or on-the-go act. The whole process, of having to commit to a night spent with pink or white drying lotion dotting your face and flaking on your pillow just to shrink a pimple in a day’s time, was in desperate need of an upgrade. Thankfully, it’s finally gotten one—in potent sticker form. Tear open a sheet of the treatment dots and peel them off like you would those old-school Candy Buttons, then slap them anywhere you have acne or feel inflammation brewing and leave on for eight hours. The patch locks the salicylic acid, tea tree oil and hyaluronic acid in and delivers it deeper into your skin to fight flare-ups faster than traditional methods.

My only caveat, what makes those ugly pink drying spot treatments so effective is the sulfer and other ingredients that all the other acne shelf products don’t contain. Bottom line, if salicylic acid works for you, this is a genius product. Personally it does nothing for my skin. Everyone is different!

BEAUTY MUST-HAVE: AN INTOXICATING FLORAL SUGAR SCRUB

​I fall in love with a lot of body scrubs, it’s true, but I’m not being hyperbolic when I call each one “the best.” The thing is, they all satisfy different needs: This one wakes me up in the morning like no other beauty product can, plus its cleansing agents eliminate the need for body wash; This one does the work of a spa-grade service and is my go-to before self-tanner application. And when I want a heady dose of perfume along with my exfoliation, I reach for & Other Stories Floral Memento Body Scrub. “Dusty violets settling among bergamot trees and peony dreams” is the poetic scent description given; to me, it smells like hundreds of delicate flower petals have been muddled into a vat of sugar. It’s so intoxicating that I find myself using it just as much as a calming aromatherapy treatment outside the shower, opening it just to breathe in deeply.

BEAUTY MUST-HAVE: THE BEST EXFOLIATOR FOR SOFT, SMOOTH, LINE-FREE LIPS

Dedicated lip scrub—if I had to guess—is not something most people have in their showers or medicine cabinets. Lip exfoliation just isn’t talked about the way body or face exfoliation is; you probably just grab a cheap toothbrush or washcloth and rub it against any flakiness in the winter or when your lipstick isn’t going on smoothly. And that’s fine, but once you find a really great lip scrub—one that has just the right mix of gritty, grainy texture and softening oiliness, plus smells and tastes so good you won’t be able to help eating a little of it (and that will be okay because it’s made with natural ingredients)—you’ll wonder how you ever went without it. Sara Happ’s is that one. I’ve been using her scrubs almost daily for years and every time I run out, I feel anxious, like a key step in my routine has been thrown out of whack. Peony, the newest flavor, is the first that isn’t fruity or sweetly gourmand—it just might be my favorite.

BEAUTY MUST-HAVE: THE BEST-SMELLING TEXTURE SPRAY

For the last few months, I’ve been on a quest to get those perfectly gritty, textured, model off-duty waves without ever taking a curling wand to my head. For a while, I was going to sleep with two pigtails and unwinding them in the morning, but too often it led to weird kinks and cowlicks. Sleeping in a French braid gave better results, but a little too much volume up top. Then, I made the breakthrough tweak: Instead of pulling my hair back and beginning to braid back from the top, I part it down the center and start the French braid at ear level, mist it with Oribe Thick Dry Finishing Spray and wake up to rumpled waves that start at just the right place and hold all day. It sounds like nothing, but I’ve never gotten so many compliments on my hair.

The thing with Oribe is this: Editors rave about it constantly for a reason—it really is one of the best. And though the signature scent alone has a cult following, so much that there’s a perfume version, it’s just too overwhelming for me. So when I ran out of it recently, I decided to hold off on replacing it and instead try every other dry shampoo and texture spray in the beauty closet. The clear winner was Toni & Guy’s Matt Texture Dry Shampoo. First, it sprays on 100% clear—something many promise, few deliver. Second, it does the oil-absorbing, hair-refreshing work of a dry shampoo, but also creates the tousled, messy texture you get from a great salt spray. Finally, the scent is so clean and light and citrus-y that it really, truly does make your hair smell freshly washed days later. The true sign? I spray it on like crazy at the office and instead of complaining of headaches, everyone comes over to borrow it.

There is nothing quite as beautiful or unique, as a perfectly gorgeous wedding dress. Lately, more care has been put into the intricate details on the backside of bridal gowns. Your guests will mostly be admiring you from the back as you walk down the isle, recite your vows, have your first dance, and toss your bouquet.

So, give them something to talk about! Whether you want to show it all off with a sexy low back or want to glow with an ethereal look and soft illusion back, there is a gown out there for you! And trust me, these gowns are as gorgeous in the front as they are in the back.

On a personal note, I couldn’t not include my dream dress (below), so simple and sophisticated, yet sexy and dreamlike. This dress makes me swoon. I think Im in love 😉

The way something as simple as layered scalloped lace can create such a stunning effect.

There is nothing quite as breathtaking and beautiful as this chandelier lined catwalk. As images of art float down the runway, one shirt in particular caught my attention. Entirely composed of diamonds, it glided down the runway, catching every facet of light in the room, shimmering towards the awaiting flashes of photographers from around the world. Truly breathtaking, a stunning work of art.

Here, we love all style inspiration, from couture to the everyday woman. But today it is all about elegance. Beaded and silk works of art. Shades of perfectly pretty neutrals, to bright accent pieces like fushia and red, all color is fitting for those sunlit days that fade into unforgettable summer nights . . .

You select lipstick shades basically the same way you choose your outfit. After all, it’s your own personal sense of style.

But what do your lipstick shades really say about you? You’ll find that the personality traits associated with lipstick colors will closely resemble your own personal fashion sense. Below is a wealth of knowledge and knowledge is power. Remember this article when dressing for a specific occasion in which you wish to convey a certain feeling or emotion. Ahhh . . . the joy of makeup! Have fun! 🙂

Purple/Mauve Shades – The darker the shade the more regal the personality. Purple lipstick shades symbolize power, luxury and magic but also a little mystery. These colors are feminine and romantic, yet strong and confident. The lighter shades suggest a more restrained sophistication.

Orange/Peach Shades – Deeper orange shades represent fire, the sun, warmth and an individual who is just plain fun. Visually, the color orange is said to increase oxygen supply to the brain and to stimulate mental activity. As your shade transitions to a paler peach, you are perceived as cheerful and warm but more understated than the deeper orange lipstick shade. This balmy color also suggests your genuine warmth toward others.

Nude/Taupe Shades – These shades are the traditional colors of the earth. They suggest you are an orderly individual. You are viewed as warm, comfortable and wholesome. You also appear to others as genuine, natural and dependable. You are not overly outgoing and don’t get ruffled too easily. You generally look to find what is good in everything. Side note: very few people can pull off a straight nude and have it look stunning, true nudes wash out fair complexions, so choose one with just a hint of pink in it and you will get a beautiful nude look.

Red Shades – This almost needs no description because the word itself stirs hot, sexy, or passionate emotions. If you wear red lipstick, you are outgoing and confident, and you’re not easily intimidated. You go after what you want and are passionate in your moods…both good and bad.

Pink Shades – Beautiful pillowy pink lips represent a kind of universal of love. Pink lipstick, a quieter version of red, suggests undertones of a little spunkiness just below the surface. Pink wearers are generally younger and lovers of all things beautiful. They project to others feeling of tenderness, self-worth and acceptance, yet a little innocence.

“I live by a man’s code, designed to fit a man’s world, yet at the same time I never forget that a woman’s first job is to choose the right shade of lipstick.”

Recently my healthy blonde locks went from blonde to brunette in an unfortunate ombre disaster. Luckily, my stylist was able to fix it right up by putting in foils upon foils of bleach, bringing my hair to a beautiful angelic shade of white blonde.

Sadly, my once healthy hair is now fried and has never felt this unhealthy in my life. I’ve always taken such great care of my hair that people often thought I wore extensions. Now, fearing inevitable breakage as well as current loss of manageability and shine, its time to find the creme of the crop hair conditioners/masks. I did my research and here are the results gathered from several different sources and personal testimonials:

1)Kérastase Nutridéfense Anti-Drying, Nutri-Protective Treatment has been called the “holy grail” of deep conditioners. This truly unique, luxurious deep conditioner replenishes and saturates the hair, and offers anti-drying protection to counter the effects of the sun, environment, chemical processes, and styling damage. The patented DOSAGE GLUCO-ACTIVE 2 technology combines optimal dosages of proteins, lipids and glucose to restore hair’s ideal nutritive balance. This deep conditioner really packs a punch to your dry damaged hair. As a personal side note, I have used Kérastase products exclusively for the past 5 years or so and my hair had never been better. Every mask, every leave in product, shampoo, and oil is a winner. I will probably continue to stick to this brand because it works so well, but it never hurts to mix it up and know what else is out there! Plus, it is $$$!!

2) Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Hair Treatment has been a clinically proven God-send to dry damaged heads of hair. After just one overnight treatment, this rich, velvety balm dramatically helps restore vibrant health and high-gloss shine to even the most damaged hair. Hair is left soft, silky and with increased managability. (Formulated without preservatives, water, artificial color and silicones)

3) Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Intense Moisturizing Treatment is a tall drink of water for your dry or damaged follicles. Argan oil nutrients, vitamin E, and antioxidants come together to infuse your hair’s inner health with moisture and shine. Your hair is left feeling lush and full of body without feeling weighed down. I absolutely love this entire line by Organix.

4) CHI Royal Treatment Intense Moisture deep conditioner. Great for all hair types, this intense conditioner is fortified with white truffle and pearl replenishes dry, over-worked, over processed hair all while preserving color and rebuilding hair’s strength. Your hair is left soft, smelling like a little piece of heaven, and with incredible shine. Works for all hair types.

5) Pureology Hydrate HydraCure Intense Moisture Masque is one of my favorite go-to deep conditioners. Pureology is known for it’s luxurious products that deliver results. Hydracure enriches dehydrated hair with an intense therapy masque. Enhanced with shea, jojoba, mango, and avocado butters your hair will feel instant detangling and shine, deep, long-lasting hydration, and enhanced color brilliance. If color fade is an issue for you, Pureology has the lock on oolor with an exclusive AntiFadeComplex® that maximizes color retention.

Best of luck finding the right fit for you and your hair! I hope this helped and that you find a product that you and your hair both fall in love with. 🙂

Summer and Spring… They inspire me in so many ways, from fashion and makeup to flowers and food. In fact, my very favorite flower varieties bloom almost exclusively during this time of year. And while the season lasts, I do my best to cover every room in the house with blush colored peonies and ranunculus, just one of the many reasons that I am absolutely smitten with inspiration when April rolls around.

This spring, the 2104 makeup trends have offered us one of the prettiest and most versatile takes on editorial beauty in the guise of pop lip colors, fresh white eye shadow and thin or dramatic winged liner. Below are inspirations gathered straight off the runway, merging together three of the seasons hottest trends. And while its still hot outside, with Fall and its darker romantic hues eagerly around the corner, lets have some fun with makeup and color choices while we still can! Bring the heat!!

Bright Lipstick:

Beautiful vivid lip colors were seen all over the runways for spring collections in 2014. Pucker up and get ready to test drive the boldest and brightest lip colors to perfect your pout in time for the new season.

Bold, electric orange was in-your-face and a standout trend at the Spring 2014 shows, with DKNY, Rag & Bone and John Galliano all opting for citrus neon lips amidst otherwise barely there beauty looks.

In contrast, Pantone’s color of the year, Radiant Orchid, was put to good use at Marchesa and Nicole Miller, while Monique Lhuillier and Antonio Marras moved down the spectrum to select hot magenta and neon pink as their choice of lip lacquer.

White Eye Shadow:

One of the freshest looks seen this season, is fresh and intense white shadow with bold and lush lashes. Try penciling your entire lid in with M.A.C Eye Khol in Fascinating, and adding a white eyeshadow on top (M.A.C. Gesso) to make the color really vibrant. Use tons of mascara to make the eyes wide and awake. This look can be worn with a neutral lip or paired with something more bold and vibrant, as mentioned above. This trend also beautifully compliments the next one below, winged liner!

Winged Eyeliner:

With the flick of a wrist, cat eyes have always brought a flair for the dramatic, and this season is no different with designers channelling the vixen vibe in varying degrees of drama. When it comes to evening eye makeup, the beauty camps are usually divided in two: those who favor diffused dark shadow (aka the sultry smoky eye), and those who stick to the winged, graphic shape. As of late, the most bewitching beauty look is a clever and catty hybrid of both, with a smoky cat eye that suggests you’re the predator, not the prey.

Since the times of Cleopatra, the cat eye has been mysterious, dramatic and ultra-feminine — and also the golden beacon of beauty mere mortals can rarely attain. Exact symmetry, perfect precision, an unwavering line and equal thickness on both eyes proves to be a challenge, especially if you lack a steady hand. Though it can be a tough routine to master, it’s worth practicing your flicks since the cat craze isn’t fading anytime fast.

Whether you prefer a graphic cat eye, subtle line flick or vibrant hue, there’s a liner look for you.